Launch season is well and truly upon the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and the latest team to kickstart their campaign is the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing squad, which will compete in WorldSBK and WorldSSP in 2023. There’s been a change to the line-up in WorldSBK as 2013 World Champion Tom Sykes comes into the team after a year out of the Championship while the WorldSSP team will have one rider in the form of Can Oncu; the Turkish star now entering his fourth year in the Championship.

The event took place in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and was broadcast live on the team’s Instagram account on Sunday for fans around the world to watch. The event was attended by sponsors of Manuel Puccetti’s team, who all got a chance to meet the two riders that make up the team’s 2023 line-up as well as see the 2023 liveries for the first time on Sykes’ ZX-10RR machine and Oncu’s ZX-6R Supersport bike.

Both bikes feature heavily with Kawasaki green on them as has been the case in recent years, with additional white, black and red to really make the two bikes stand out on track as Sykes and Oncu go in search of the best results possible in 2023. The team have now completed their winter testing, taking part in recent tests at Jerez and Portimao, and their launch with all eyes now on the season-opening Australian Round in just a couple of weeks.

Discussing the presentation, 2013 Champion Sykes said: “The presentation was fantastic, in full Italian style. A fascinating location, lots of people and lots of good food to taste. Everything was organised in the best possible way and I congratulate Manuel and his staff. It was nice to meet our sponsors and I understood that they are really close to us and follow us with passion. In the winter tests my first goal was to settle in and get to know the team. An objective achieved, as I feel very comfortable with them, and also for this reason the tests went well. There is still some work to do but we have laid the foundations for a good season. I look forward to the first round of Philip Island with confidence.”

Oncu, aiming for his first win in WorldSSP, added: “It was a great party, the ideal way to start the 2023 season. We have many supporters, and this is a great incentive for us. A big applause to Manuel and his staff, who organised such a beautiful evening. Winter testing went well, and I had a lot of fun. I'm ready and there are all the conditions for a great season.”

Outlining his goals for the team in 2023, Puccetti said: “It was a really nice evening. I was pleased to meet all the sponsors and supporters of our team and introduce them to our riders and our technicians, whom I take this opportunity to thank for the great work done this winter. In Supersport our goal is to aim for the title with Can Oncu and let him take his first victory in the race. In Superbike we will all give our best to take advantage of Tom Sykes' great skills.”

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